Ph.D., University of Michigan (1983) M.S., Cornell University (1978) B.S., Southampton College of Long Island University (1974)

Research Interests

My research spans a variety of topics within marine biology, all relating to the behavioral and physiological ecology of marine vertebrate animals. As Director of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory, I am actively engaged in several aquaculture projects. These include (1) development of culture methods for pigfish, with the long-term goal of developing a commercial baitfish industry; (2) development of culture methods for southern flounder for commercial interests and to facilitate stock enhancement programs of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; (3) brining new species into aquaculture, such as common snook and Florida pompano; and (4) development of more efficient and environmentally sustainable protocols and feeds for managing broodstock fish. Several other projects are at the interface of basic fish biology, physiology, and fish ecology. These include (5) dynamics of transfer of fatty acids from diet to eggs; (6) relationship between egg composition and larval survivorship in cultured and wild fish; (7) developing tools for interpreting recent diet of wild fish from biochemical tracers in eggs; (8) understanding the influences of maternal investment in offspring survival in fishes; and (9) determining the mechanisms by which fish larvae locate critical nursery habitats. My work in behavioral ecology also includes (10) foraging and navigation behavior of Weddell seals in Antarctica.

Recent Projects

Team Fuiman has a long tradition of research on development, behavior, physiology, and ecology of larval fishes. While behavioral ecology remains a strong focus of the team’s research, the kinds of animals being used to address those research questions has become more diverse and has included seals, birds, and octopods. In addition, the scope of research projects has grown much broader, now including maternal transfer of dietary nutrients to eggs, the role of maternal and dietary fatty acids in larval performance, ecology of fatty acids, and aquaculture.

Abstracts of recent projects:

Egg boons: Central components of marine fatty acid food webs. – Lee A. Fuiman, Tara L. Connelly, Susan K. Lowerre-Barbieri, and James W. McClelland (Ecology, in press) - Food web relationships are traditionally defined in terms of the flow of key elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and their role in limiting production. There is growing recognition that availability of important biomolecules, such as fatty acids, may exert controls on secondary production that are not easily explained by traditional element-oriented models. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required by most organisms for proper physiological function but are manufactured almost entirely by primary producers. Therefore, the flow of EFAs, especially DHA, EPA, and ARA, through aquatic food webs is critical for ecosystem functioning. A meta-analysis of data on EFA content of marine organisms reveals that individual eggs of marine animals have exceptionally high concentrations of EFAs, and that superabundances of eggs released in temporally and spatially discrete patches create rich but temporary nutritional resources for egg predators, called “egg boons.” Mortality rates of fish eggs are disproportionately higher than animals of similar size, and those eggs are consumed by predators both larger and smaller than the adults that produce the eggs. Thus, egg boons are a major trophic pathway through which EFAs are repackaged and redistributed, and they are among the few pathways that run counter to the main direction of trophic flow. Egg boons can transport EFAs across ecosystems through advection of patches of eggs and spawning migrations of adults. Recognizing the significance of egg boons to aquatic food webs reveals linkages and feedbacks between organisms and environments that have important implications for understanding how food webs vary in time and space. Examples are given of top-down, bottom up, and lateral control mechanisms that could significantly alter food webs through their effects on eggs. Our results suggest that trophodynamic food web models should include EFAs generally, and egg production and egg EFA content in particular.

Weddell seal foraging dives: Comparison of free-ranging and isolated-hole paradigms. – Kiersten M. Madden, Lee A. Fuiman, Terrie M. Williams, and Randall W. Davis (Antarctic Science) - Weddell seals are polar predators that must partition their time between many behaviours, including hunting prey at depth and breathing at the surface. Although they have been well studied, little is known about how foraging behaviour changes when access to breathing holes is restricted, such as in the isolated-hole paradigm. The current study took advantage of previously gathered data for seals diving at an isolated hole to compare with foraging behaviour of free-ranging seals that had access to multiple holes. We examined dive structure, hunting tactics, and allocation of time, locomotor activity and energy based on three-dimensional dive profiles and video imagery of prey encounters for two free-ranging and six isolated-hole seals. Midsummer foraging dives of free-ranging seals were remarkably similar to those of seals diving at an isolated hole, but there were differences in two behavioural states and the frequency of several behavioural transitions. Results indicate that seals employ an energetically more conservative foraging strategy when access to breathing holes is limited and prey are less abundant. These results highlight the importance of understanding the complex interactions between breathing hole access, prey abundance and other factors that may result in different Weddell seal foraging strategies under changing future conditions.

Optimal dietary ration for juvenile pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera, grow-out. - Erik W. Oberg, Cynthia K. Faulk, and Lee A. Fuiman (Aquaculture, 433:335-339) - Pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera) have been identified as a good candidate for marine baitfish aquaculture. Initial research on the species has focused on captive spawning and larval rearing, but optimizing juvenile grow-out is also essential for economical production. We conducted an experiment to determine the optimal ration (Ropt) for maximizing growth rate while minimizing size variability and overfeeding. We measured total length (TL), wet weight (WW), specific growth rate (SGR), gross feed conversion efficiency (GFCE), and survival of juvenile pigfish (initial size: 2.6 ± 0.4 cm TL) using six ration levels (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 % WW d− 1) for four weeks at 24.7 ± 0.2 °C. Final size (TL and WW) increased with increasing ration at lower rations, reaching a plateau at intermediate levels (8-16% WW d− 1). Survival increased with ration from 74% at the lowest ration to a plateau of 96.0% at rations > 10.7 % WW d− 1. GFCE decreased with increasing ration from 149% to 47%. To identify Ropt and its change with fish size, we modeled SGR as a function of WW, ration, and their interaction and found that Ropt = 11.19 ∙ WW- 0.26 (R2 = 0.70, P 0.05). Thisequation provides a guide for producing pigfish quickly and efficiently and, with further research on culture requirements, can be used to establish an efficient pigfish grow-out protocol.

Aggressive male mating behavior depends on female maturity in Octopus bimaculoides. - Sobhi Mohanty, Alfredo F. Ojanguren, Lee A. Fuiman (Marine Biology 161:1521-1530) - This laboratory study examined the combined effects of male and female behaviors on the outcome of mating encounters in Octopus bimaculoides. We found that male–male competition for mating opportunities depends on female maturity; the presence of immature females elicited significantly higher levels of aggression between competing males. We conclude that males are able to assess the reproductive status of females. The study also found that immature and mature females resisted male mating attempts to a similar extent but that males that showed more aggression toward male competitors were able to spend more time in contact with females. We suggest that the lack of prominent visual displays in these mating trials indicates the importance of chemical cues in Octopus mating systems, as has been demonstrated for other cephalopods. This study contributes to the growing research on cephalopod mating systems and in particular shows that Octopus mating dynamics may be more behaviorally complex than initially assumed.

Dynamics of arachidonic acid transfer from diet to eggs in red drum. - Lee A. Fuiman and Cynthia K. Faulk (World Aquaculture June 2014:59-61) - A common bottleneck in the successful production of any species is a steady supply of high-quality eggs for grow-out. Producing high-quality eggs often requires the inclusion of wild-caught marine organisms in the broodstock diet. However, practicing responsible aquaculture means reducing the use of such feed ingredients and replacing them, at least partially, with more sustainable ingredients, such as agricultural crops.

Batch spawning facilitates transfer of an essential nutrient from diet to eggs in a marine fish. - Lee A. Fuiman and Cynthia K. Faulk (Biology Letters 9:20130593) - Fatty acid composition of eggs affects development, growth and ecological performance of fish embryos and larvae, with potential consequences for recruitment success. Essential fatty acids in eggs derive from the maternal diet, and the time between ingestion and deposition in eggs is ecologically important but unknown. We examined the dynamics of diet–egg transfer of arachidonic acid (ARA) in the batch-spawning fish, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), by measuring ARA concentrations in eggs after a single diet shift and during a period of irregular variations in diet. ARA concentrations in eggs changed within 2–16 days of a diet shift. The rate of change was proportional to the magnitude of the shift, with no evidence of equilibration. These results are not consistent with eggs being assembled entirely from accumulated body stores. The immediate source of ARA in eggs appears to be the recent diet. We propose that batch spawning produces rapid diet–egg transfer of ARA because it removes large amounts of fatty acids from the body and prevents equilibration. The immediacy of the diet–egg connection suggests that spawning migration combined with short-interval batch spawning may have evolved to take advantage of nutrients critical for offspring survival that are available at the spawning site.

Classification and behavior of free-ranging Weddell seal dives based on three-dimensional movements and video-recorded observations. - Randall W. Davis, Lee A. Fuiman, Kiersten M. Madden, Terrie M. Williams (Deep-Sea Research II 889-89:65-77). - The goal of this study was to classify free-ranging (FR) dives of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) and to compare them to isolated hole (IH) dives. Classification and comparisons were based on 58 descriptors for three-dimensional dive paths computed from data obtained by attaching video and data recorders to the backs of 12 adult Weddell seals that were free-ranging in eastern McMurdoSound, Antarctica. We then inferred behavioral functions for the dive classes based on video-recorded observations. Three of the four dive types previously identified from seals diving at an IH occurred in FR seals. Although there were differences associated with location, Types 1, 2 and 3 dives clustered in a similar pattern in the discriminant analysis for FR and IH dives. Most prey (79%) captures occurred during Type1 dives, and the primary (99%) prey was Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Type 1 dives were the deepest (mean maximum depth 324–378m), longest in duration (15.0 – 27.0 min), covered the greatest total distance (1470–2197 m), and had the steepest dive angles (descents: -30 degrees; ascents: +27 degrees). Types 2 and 3 dives formed a continuum from short duration (3.6– 7.5 min), shallow (mean maximum depth 30–66m) dives that were close to the ice hole (farpoint distance 75–130 m) and often involved aggressive interactions with other seals for breathing opportunities (Type2) to progressively longer (7.9–17.2 min), deeper (mean maximum depth 81– 143 m) dives that covered greater total distances (878–1194 m) and were associated with transiting between holes, exploring and occasionally for aging (Type3). Very long distance Type 4 exploratory dives that were identified in the IH study were completely absent in FR seals.

Batch spawning decreases competition among early life stages in coastal fishes: A simulation study using red drum Sciaenops ocellatus. - Shinnosuke Nakayama, Kenneth A. Rose, and Lee A. Fuiman (Marine Ecology Progress Series). - Batch spawning (reproducing multiple times in a single reproductive season) is mainly considered to be a bet-hedging strategy to cope with environmental uncertainty, but little attention is paid to its consequences for competitive environments of offspring. Here, we investigate how batch-spawning traits can affect recruitment success when offspring experience size and density-dependent interference competition. Using an individual-based model, we simulated recruitment of a typical batch-spawning coastal fish in the Gulf of Mexico, where spawning occurs in spatially heterogeneous environments over a single spawning season. We examined the effects of competition intensity among offspring on recruitment success. As offspring were more competitive, higher recruitment was achieved when a population showed batch spawning compared to single spawning. Moreover, interference competition among offspring yielded an increase in total recruitment when the competition intensity was low, suggesting that offspring competition is not always detrimental to recruitment success. Our study proposes a beneficial consequence of a batch-spawning strategy—increasing recruitment by reducing competition among offspring.

Fatty acid content of eggs determines antipredator performance of fish larvae. - Lee A. Fuiman and Alfredo F. Ojanguren (Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 407:155-165). - Recent work has suggested that provisioning of eggs with certain critical nutrients could be a more meaningful measure of maternal investment and correlate of offspring fitness than traditional measures of egg size. The aim of our study was to assess variability in egg quality and larva quality and to identify connections between them and the implications for larval survival. Egg size, proximate composition, and fatty acid composition were measured for 40 batches of eggs from 8 captive pairs of red drum (Osteichthyes: Sciaenops ocellatus). We reared larvae from these batches of eggs to a common size (10 mm total length, 2– 3 weeks posthatching) and assessed routine activity and escape response performance of 671 individuals. Egg fatty acid composition varied more than egg size or proximate composition. Concentrations of certain long chain, highly unsaturated essential fatty acids (e.g., arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) were the only egg traits that were significantly related to larva quality (measured as escape performance). Reduced escape performance of larvae from eggs with low fatty acid concentrations was not compensated by 3 weeks of feeding on a diet enriched with fatty acids, suggesting irreversible developmental effects. Since fatty acids in eggs originate from the maternal diet, offspring survival may be determined in part by availability of nutrient rich prey to pre-spawning adults. Migrations, regime shifts, and exploitation of marine communities could operate through this mechanism to influence recruitment in fish populations. Our findings underscore the importance of non-genetic maternal contributions to egg quality and the linkage between environmental conditions experienced by adult females and offspring fitness.

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Upcoming publications

Oberg, E.W., and L.A. Fuiman. in press. Linking fatty acids in the diet and tissues to quality of larval southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.

Ditty, J.G., Shaw, R.F., and Fuiman, L.A. 2005. Larval development of five species of blenny (Teleostei: Blenniidae) from the western central North Atlantic, with a synopsis of blennioid family characters. Journal of Fish Biology 66:1261–1284.

Fuiman, L.A. 1994. The interplay of ontogeny and scaling in the interactions of fish larvae and their predators. Journal of Fish Biology 45(supplement A):55-79.

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Fuiman, L.A., and A.E. Magurran. 1994. Development of predator defences in fishes. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 4:145-183.

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Fuiman, L.A., and R.S. Batty. 1994. Susceptibility of Atlantic herring and plaice larvae to predation by juvenile cod and herring at two constant temperatures. Journal of Fish Biology 44:23-34.

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Fuiman, L.A., editor. 1993. Water Quality and the Early Life Stages of Fishes. American Fisheries Society Symposium 14. 172pp. (reprints are not available; get the lowest price)

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Hunter, J.R., N.C.-H. Lo, and L.A. Fuiman, editors. 1993. Advances in the early life history of fishes. Part 2. Ichthyoplankton methods for estimating fish biomass. Bulletin of Marine Science 53:723-935. (sorry, reprints are not available from me)

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Moser, H.G., P.E. Smith, and L.A. Fuiman, editors. 1993. Advances in the early life history of fishes. Part 1. Larval fish assemblages and ocean boundaries. Bulletin of Marine Science 53:283-722. (sorry, reprints are not available from me)

Gamble, J.C., and L.A. Fuiman. 1987. Evaluation of in situ enclosures during a study of the importance of starvation to the vulnerability of herring larvae to a piscine predator. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 113:91-103.

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Foster, N.R., and L.A. Fuiman. 1987. Notes on the behavior and early life history of captive lyre gobies, Evorthodus lyricus. Bulletin of Marine Science 41:27-35.

Fuiman, L.A. 1982. Correspondence of myomeres and vertebrae and their natural variability during the first year of life in yellow perch. Pages 56-59, in: C.F. Bryan, J.V. Conner, and F.M. Truesdale, editors. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Larval Fish Conference. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Fuiman, L.A. and J.J. Loos. 1977. Identifying characters of the early development of the daces, Rhinichthys atratulus and R. cataractae (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 129:23-32.

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Fuiman, L.A. 1976. Notes on the early development of the sea raven, Hemitripterus americanus. Fishery Bulletin 74:467-470.

Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Award for Public Awareness from the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation - October 2009

Antarctica Service Medal of the United States of America, National Science Foundation - 2000

Team Publications: Higgs, D.M., and L.A. Fuiman. 1998. Associations between behavioral ontogeny and habitat change in clupeoid larvae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 78:1281-1294.

Team Publications: Foster, C.R., A.F. Amos, and L.A. Fuiman. 2009. Trends in abundance of coastal birds and human activity on a Texas barrier island over three decades. Estuaries and Coasts 32:1079-1089.

Team Publications: Nakayama, S., A.F. Ojanguren, L.A. Fuiman. 2009. To fight, or not to fight: Determinants and consequences of social behaviour in young red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Behaviour 146:815-830.